Do The Magic!
by grrlgeek72
Summary: After the harrowing events that took place in "The Spare", Elsa decides that it is long past time that she actually practice using her magic. She has a proposal for the Captain of her bodyguards. He agrees, and training begins. As it happens, Elsa learns more than she bargained for. So does the Captain.
1. Climb Every Mountain

**This story takes place shortly after the events of "The Spare"; however it is not necessary to read that story to enjoy this one. The few references made here should be clear from the context.  
**

**Elsa decides that it is long past time that she actually practice using her magic. She has a proposal for the Captain of her bodyguard. He agrees, and training begins. They head up the North Mountain to meet Marshmallow.  
**

**As it happens, Elsa learns more than she bargained for. So does the Captain. This story has three chapters.  
**

* * *

The Admiral found Elsa standing at the window of her study, staring out at the fjord pensively. She didn't notice him until he cleared his throat. She turned, and he could tell that she had tried to put on her usual businesslike expression, but it took her a beat too long, and he saw that she was troubled.

"Your Majesty, how may I serve you today?" he said as he bowed. She gestured to his usual chair, and they both sat.

"Admiral, I've been thinking quite a bit about what happened last month," she began. "Not the obvious part, but the part where I keep running into danger and upsetting my guardsmen." She managed a wan smile for him.

Well, that was certainly unexpected. He looked at her quizzically because he wasn't quite sure what to say. She was referring to the foiled assassination plot that had almost succeeded. It hadn't succeeded only because of a bit of bad luck for the plotters, and Elsa's willingness to use her magic at the risk of her own life. Of course, she had saved many lives by doing so, including that of her beloved sister, Anna. By now, there wasn't anyone left in the kingdom who didn't know that Elsa would do anything to protect her sister. Anything.

"And how may I help, Your Majesty?" he finally asked.

She got up and began pacing restlessly in front of the window.

"I've been thinking about what you said that my guards aren't trained to protect me when I run INTO danger. I think we need more training," she stopped and turned to him, waiting for a reaction.

"Well, they train extensively, but if you think they need more, then ..."

She cut him off with a sharp gesture. "No, I said 'we', and I meant **'we'**." She had a determined look on her face now.

"Ah, I'm afraid I don't quite understand, Your Majesty."

"I would like to train with my guards. With my magic," she returned to her seat as she said this.

The Admiral was startled. She let him think about it for a few moments, but then asked, "Well?"

"Ah, Your Majesty, I must admit, you leave me at a loss for words," he finally managed to say. "This is highly … unconventional."

She simply smirked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not the most … conventional … monarch ruling a kingdom these days, am I?" She hadn't often seen Mikael Naismith at a loss for words, or flustered, for that matter. There was a reason his nickname was "Hard as Nails" after all.

Briskly, she continued, "Admiral, I have control of my magic, but I really don't use it that much. I did so to repel the Weselton attack, and I used it at Baron Thorstad's manor and the warehouse. However, I really don't understand its limitations nor the best way to accomplish things with it. Particularly things like, perhaps, repelling attackers without killing them." Her expression was grim as she spoke that last sentence.

"Your Majesty, killing Pierre was completely justified and ..." the Admiral began, but she put up a hand to stop him.

"I know that, Admiral. It doesn't change the fact that there may be other situations where it may not be. My point is, personal combat is a skill, one that your Marines and my guardsmen spend much time training for. Even for self-defense, I think it would be useful for me to learn some basics from my guardsmen. If only so that they become comfortable with what I can do when I run toward the very things they are trying to protect me from." She looked a bit chagrined at that last.

"I think 'comfortable' is too strong a word, Your Majesty. However, I must agree with your logic here. Where do you think we should undertake this training then?" he asked.

"Where else?" she smiled. "The North Mountain."

* * *

Elsa and the Admiral had called her Guard Captain in to explain what she wanted to do. Initially, he was as dumbfounded as the Admiral, and more than a little bit alarmed, but once he calmed down he had to admit she was right. One did not reach his position of critical trust and authority by being rigid and stupid. It was clear that Queen Elsa of Arendelle would continue to personally protect and defend her realm and her people, so he might as well accept that and move on. He would never like it, but then life was full of little disappointments.

Eric Gunnarsson was the Captain of the Queen's Own Guard; he had served in the guard for almost 19 years. He began as a recruit when Elsa's father was the King and she was only two years old. He gradually rose through the ranks until he was the Captain. He had been promoted by her father shortly before the disastrous sea voyage that had resulted in Elsa becoming Queen at far too young an age.

Since she had remained secluded until her coronation, almost never going out in public, almost never coming out of her room or her study for that matter, his job had been easy and somewhat boring. Until her coronation. It had become far too … not boring ... since then.

It was quite a convoy that was headed up to the North Mountain. There were several wagons carrying the equipment the expedition would need since they intended to stay for several days. Tents, food, and all the other supplies necessary to keep 20 mounted men and one queen in reasonable comfort was fairly bulky. The men were all experienced with field exercises and were used to sleeping in tents. The Captain was uncertain how the Queen would manage, however. He was uncomfortable with the idea that she would be living in a tent like the rest of them. It offended his sense of propriety; royals were to be protected and pampered in his worldview. To say that Elsa fell outside the boundaries of 'proper' royal behavior exposed the inadequacies of the language.

Elsa was riding in the lead wagon next to the teamster. Olaf was also along, The Queen had insisted that the little snowlem accompany them, but the Captain had no idea why.

Gunnarsson was riding alongside the lead wagon, and was curious as to why she wanted to come all the way up here to 'train'. There were plenty of open fields closer to the castle, after all.

"Captain!" Elsa called out to him. "We should stop here. It looks like a good place to set up our camp."

Eric signaled a halt and dismounted. He looked around. She had picked a spot that was free of snow. It was early May, and the weather had been struggling to be spring-like. Even so, this high up the mountain could sometimes remain snow-covered even through a normal summer. There was in fact snow not that much farther up the slope. They were still low enough that there were some trees around, so firewood should be easy to gather.

"Sergeant! Set up camp. Normal field protocols, please. Her Majesty's tent should be central to the camp, with sufficient distance for … privacy. Horse line down there, privies over there. That creek we just passed should be adequate for clean water. Be sure the men who gather it do so upstream of us!" A quick salute from the sergeant and the men began the bustle and busy activities necessary to set up a camp in the field.

Elsa had dismounted from the wagon with the help of the teamster and waited until the Captain had given his orders and the work of setting up the camp was well under way. Eric passed the reins of his horse to one of the men and approached Elsa. Olaf was with her, having ridden in the back of the same wagon. He was looking around and giggling.

"Your Majesty. It is late in the afternoon, so we will be preparing the evening meal shortly. Is there anything you need until we get your tent set up?"

"No, Captain Gunnarsson; I'll be fine. As a matter of fact, I have something I would like to show you before tomorrow. It isn't far from here and we should be back in time for supper." She was smiling, but seemed somewhat distracted.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Jorgensen! You and one other will join us!" he ordered the sergeant.

The little party began a hike up the mountain, Elsa in the lead. Well, actually Olaf in the lead. Eric was intrigued to see that the snowman seemed to know where they were going and skipping in his enthusiasm.

After about 15 minutes of hiking, they had come to a small clearing on a steep cliff face. Since Eric didn't think that Elsa had wasted their time by bringing them to a dead end, he wondered why they were here. Olaf was hopping from one foot to the other and giggling again.

"Captain, Sergeant, Guardsman, I must warn you that what I am about to show you may be somewhat overwhelming. I'm very proud of it, but … well, I know that the men who came up here with Prince Hans weren't believed when they returned to Arendelle and told their stories." She didn't even try to hide her distaste when she spoke Hans' name.

"Olaf, lead on," she spoke to the snowlem, and he clapped and giggled.

"Come on; there's a staircase that takes us right where we want to go!" And he disappeared into the rock face.

When Eric and the others followed, they saw that there was a passage through the cliff. Elsa had followed Olaf, so the Captain was the first of the three guardsmen to emerge and see what Elsa was talking about. He stopped dead in his tracks, stunned at the sight before him. Jorgensen and the other guardsman almost knocked him over since they had not expected him to halt.

Olaf had gone skipping up the stairs of the Ice Palace. Elsa was standing next to a large pile of snow, talking to it. The guardsmen didn't notice this odd behavior; they were far too busy gawking at the magnificent creation reaching to the sky.

"It's made of ice!" exclaimed the sergeant. "It's a palace made of ice!"

The wonders of the North Mountain weren't limited to the icy creation they were staring at; Elsa was suddenly overshadowed by a much, much larger snowman than Olaf. She smiled at Marshmallow, who was bowing to her. "Lady Elsa, it is good to see you again!"

Her guards suddenly realized that there was something more astonishing than a palace of ice in front of them. Their protective instincts kicked in; they charged at what they saw as a threat, and Captain Gunnarsson screamed, "Your Majesty!"

She turned and held up a hand to stop them from attacking Marshmallow. "There is no danger, Captain! This snowman is my guardian, not a threat. He is one of the reasons I wanted to do the training here."

The three guards had stumbled to a halt and were looking up at Marshmallow with expressions of awe mixed with unease. "Your guardian, Your Majesty?" Eric finally managed to ask.

"Yes, this is Marshmallow, Captain, he guards my Ice Palace from intruders." Elsa smiled indulgently as a deep rumble of laughter came from Marshmallow. "He will be taking part in our training, as well."

Eric just looked at her in disbelief. "Excuse me, Your Majesty, did you say that it ..."

"He, Captain. He."

"He … would be ..." Eric couldn't finish the sentence.

"Yes, because neither your weapons nor my ice magic can hurt him. It will add a level of realism to the exercises that wouldn't be possible otherwise," Elsa finished.

She waited a moment or two to allow him to absorb this. She knew he would need it.

Finally, he turned to her and asked, "Your Majesty, if you have this," he waved a hand indicating the Ice Palace, "why would you sleep in a tent?"

She just smiled and shook her head. "Captain, it's a beautiful thing to look at, I'm very proud of it, and the cold certainly doesn't bother me, but it's just not very practical. Think of it as a … as a work of art, something to appreciate aesthetically, not as something to actually live in."

* * *

As they returned to the camp, Captain Gunnarsson's head was reeling with what he had just seen. Elsa had taken the three of them into the palace, but it was just a short tour. She had promised a longer one and an explanation of how it came to be, but just the glimpse was enough to shake his faith in his own eyes. He suspected the other two were similarly unsettled.

The tidy camp was set up, with the men sitting around their fires. There was a cook and his mate to prepare everyone's meals, but each squad of six men had their own fire and coffee pot. As far as Eric could tell, the cook was ready to serve supper, but they had apparently waited for the Queen to return before doing so.

"Captain, are they waiting for us?" asked Elsa. He nodded.

"I appreciate that, but in the future, please don't wait for me. I know it is protocol, but … these men risk their lives for me. It's not necessary for them to wait for me before eating. Certainly not in the field like this."

"Your Majesty, I'll be sure we aren't late for meals again, so the issue won't arise," the Captain responded. He appreciated Elsa's concern for the men.

After eating Elsa sat with the Captain and Sergeant Jorgensen in front of her tent. Most of the men were around their fires as well; some played games of chance; others cleaned their weapons. Several were on guard duty patrolling the perimeter of the camp. The temperature was cool, but above freezing. Elsa was intrigued as she watched the whole group. She had never done anything like this before, and found the experience strangely exhilarating. She sipped from her mug of coffee.

"Ah, Your Majesty?" the Captain asked.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Forgive my presumption, but … could I ask about that remarkable palace? And the … snowmen?"

She chuckled. "Of course, Captain. It isn't presumptuous at all since I promised you an explanation," she held out her mug for a refill. "Sergeant, would you please?" He poured more coffee for her.

She settled back in her camp chair and looked up the mountain. Olaf had decided to stay with Marshmallow for the night.

"I assume you remember my rather … exciting … coronation celebration?" she smiled. Seeing their nods, she continued, "Well, after I had frightened everyone and ran off across the fjord, I found myself up here somehow. The journey is somewhat of a blur, as you can imagine. My state of mind was a mix of panic and exhilaration."

She gestured with her mug toward the mountain towering above them. "When I got here, I realized that for the first time in thirteen years I could use my magic without hurting anyone, and it was something I suddenly wanted very much to do. Almost the first thing that I did was build Olaf although it wasn't until later that I realized he was alive."

"Is he? Alive, I mean?" asked the sergeant.

"Well, he thinks so. He walks; he talks; he certainly has feelings. I'm not a philosopher or a theologian, sergeant, but Olaf seems to be alive by every external measure we could come up with," Elsa replied.

"Can he … die?"

Elsa looked reflective and a little sad. She knew that Olaf's and Marshmallow's existence would end when **she** died. That much she had gleaned from her research into her powers shortly after her coronation. But, before then? She wasn't sure.

"I can only say … I don't know. As you'll see tomorrow, Olaf and Marshmallow can't be hurt by conventional weapons. It might be that if they were thrown into a big enough fire, they would melt, but we're not going to experiment with that," she explained.

Continuing, "So, after building Olaf out of a memory of a snowman my sister Anna and I had built when we were children, I continued further up the mountain and started building the palace. I've always been interested in geometry and architecture; I suppose it was just my subconscious wanting to see what I could do. It was almost a dance, raising the structure until it was what you saw. Truthfully, when it was finished, I was as astonished and awestruck as you were today; I never knew what I was capable of."

Elsa sipped her coffee. She suddenly realized that the camp was completely silent except for the crackling of the fires. All of the men were hanging on her every word. She blushed.

Eric became aware of the men listening as well. He stirred, intending to order them back to their own activities, but Elsa put a hand on his arm to stop him. She raised her voice a little and said, "Gentlemen, please, if you would like to hear this story, you are welcome to join us."

The men didn't need to be asked twice. They clustered around the Queen, some on camp stools, some sitting on the ground. She smiled at them.

"So, where were we? Oh, yes, finishing the Ice Palace," her eyes twinkled in the firelight. "Truthfully, once it was finished, I found myself at a loss. Now what? Here I was, completely alone in a palace made of ice. I hadn't really thought that one through. Sleeping on a bed of ice didn't strike me as very comfortable, however indifferent to cold I was. I was beginning to think that I should have brought a book along, a thick one. Fortunately, my sister came along shortly afterward to rescue me."

"Rescue you, Your Majesty?" Eric asked.

"From boredom, if nothing else, Captain. More seriously, it was Anna who told me that I had left Arendelle in the middle of a howling winter. Until that moment, I hadn't realized that, and it horrified me. My intent in leaving and coming up here was to protect the kingdom from my magic, not freeze it over. She wanted me to come back to the castle and bring back summer, but I didn't know how to do that, not yet. That knowledge didn't come until later, on the fjord, after Anna saved us all."

"It was Anna's visit that resulted in Marshmallow. Olaf had led her here, and came in asking for warm hugs a few minutes after we started talking. I was surprised to see him; he had been 'just' a snowman when I left him. It was quite a shock to realize I could create animate snow, as you might imagine. In any case, Anna was insistent that she wouldn't leave without me, and I was still too afraid of doing more harm than good by returning. So I created Marshmallow; he chased Anna and Master Bjorgman down the mountain."

"Excuse me, Your Majesty, is that how you made those frost giants to defeat the Weaseltown attackers last fall?" This question came from one of the guardsmen.

"Yes, guardsman, it is. But I won't be doing that again. I realized how serious a responsibility it is to create a sentient being like that." Her expression was so troubled that no one felt comfortable asking any followup questions to that one.

Elsa continued in a softer voice, "Later, when Prince Hans and his party came looking for Anna, Marshmallow fought them off without being harmed, even when his leg was severed and he fell down that chasm. Which is why I'm sure we can use him in our exercises tomorrow without hurting him."

"Your Majesty, what exactly do you hope to accomplish here?" asked another one of the guardsmen. Eric knew what she had told **him**, but he was curious as to what she would say to this.

"Guardsman, I know that I am a trial to you all, since I have this terrible habit of running toward the danger you all try to protect me from," she smiled, and got a low rumble of laughter from the men in response. "My magic is a gift, and control of it has come at great cost to me. At my coronation, I swore an oath to be the 'protector and defender of the realm'. Now I realize that usually the monarch does not literally take up arms, at least not in these modern times. But I am not going to hold back when I can make a difference. So, I intend for us to practice together with my magic, so that you and I both understand its limits." Many of the men nodded at this.

Eric glanced up at the stars and noticed it was quite late. "Your Majesty, I thank you for your indulgence, but I think it is time for us to rest up for those exercises tomorrow, don't you?"

Elsa nodded and rose, and the entire group scrambled to their feet in respect. She acknowledged them and went into her tent.

Eric and the sergeant just looked at each other and shook their heads. This job certainly wasn't boring any more.

* * *

**You know that comment Elsa makes about wishing she had brought a book with her when she built the Ice Palace? That idea came from a really cute cartoon by Amy Mebberson. If you go to her tumblr page and search the hashtag #elsa, you should be able to find it pretty easily. And if you don't follow 'Pocket Princesses' by Amy, you should!**


	2. When Snowlems Attack

The next morning the group marched up to the clearing in front of the Ice Palace. Olaf and Marshmallow were waiting for them.

Eric and Elsa walked up to the two snowmen while the sergeant arrayed the other guardsmen into three ranks of six. He let them gawk at the Ice Palace and Marshmallow for a moment before bellowing, "Attention!"

"Well, Your Majesty, how do you want to proceed?" Eric asked her.

"Truthfully, Captain, I'm not sure. My intention was to practice using my magic for self-defense, and some active offense. I think I should defer to your judgment as to what that should actually involve." Elsa was unsure of herself in this sort of activity. She used her magic quite often to create little flurries and snow figurines, but had only used them in a martial way against the Weselton attack and then against Pierre.

"Hmmm. Based on what I've seen you do, and what you described about the attack by the Duke's men here at the Ice Palace, you can shoot icy spikes and create defensive barriers. Let's try some target practice to get a feel for your accuracy and distance." Eric looked up at Marshmallow. "Do you think … he … would let you shoot at him?"

Elsa chuckled. "Yes, and it won't hurt him. That's one of the reasons I wanted to do this here. Olaf can also be a target, can't you Olaf?" She smiled down at her little snowlem.

"You bet! I love getting impaled! It tickles!" Olaf's enthusiasm caused a ripple of chuckles in the ranks, which resulted in glare from Sergeant Jorgensen and a quick return to a stiff attention by the men.

"Alright, then, Your Majesty. Uh, Marshmallow, would you please go stand over there?" Captain Gunnarsson waved to a spot about 50 yards away from where they were standing. A rumble that might have been an assent or simply a deep chuckle came from Marshmallow as he moved to the indicated spot. Olaf skipped over to join him. Eric turned and nodded to Elsa.

She took a deep breath, then thrust out her right hand in the gesture she had used to knock the crossbow from the hands of the Duke's thug when he attacked her. She was aiming for the middle of his 'torso', and she was right on target. The ice spike quivered in his body. He looked down at it and pulled it out, dropping it beside him. Elsa looked at Captain Gunnarsson.

"Well, if that's where you were aiming," she nodded, "then that's fair accuracy. Let's try something a little harder. Marshmallow, can you hold a snowball in your hand?" Marshmallow simply bent down, made a snowball about a foot in diameter, and stood straight, holding the snowball out to the side.

"Olaf, could you please stand next to Marshmallow, on the side away from the snowball?" Olaf happily skipped over to the indicated position.

Eric turned back to Elsa. "Okay, Your Majesty, try to hit the snowball, then hit Olaf's middle in quick succession. As fast as you can."

This time, Elsa wasn't as accurate. She barely nicked the snowball, and actually hit Olaf in his lowest of the three snowballs that made up his body. "Hmph. Not that good." she huffed. Eric chuckled.

"Your Majesty, that's why it's called 'training'. If I had handed you a rifle and asked you to hit that target, that would have been a decent result. Not great, but for someone working with no practice, not bad at all. There's generally a trade-off between speed and accuracy, as you just saw. As you practice, we will focus on accuracy first, then speed." Elsa was somewhat mollified, but her inherent perfectionism was offended by her performance.

Eric asked her, "Would Olaf and Marshmallow be willing to let us shoot at them?"

"Yes, Captain. Just ask them to do what you need," Elsa replied.

Eric walked over to the two snowlems. Olaf was tapping his fingers on the ice spike sticking out of him, then Marshmallow laughed and pulled it out for him. They looked at Eric expectantly.

"I would like you two to back up as far as you can, then run toward us in a zig-zag pattern until you get to within 10 yards of us. Understood?" The two snowmen simply nodded. "Would you allow me to paint a target on you?" Another nod. Eric waved Jorgensen over. The sergeant had a prepared bucket of red liquid with him. He put a six inch red circle on both snowmen. It almost covered Olaf's entire middle snowball. It was hard to see on Marshmallow.

"Okay, back up and start toward us when I give the signal." Eric gestured to the two, who did what he asked.

Returning to where Elsa stood, Eric nodded at the sergeant, who bellowed, "First squad, firing line. Fire when I give the signal!" Six of the guardsmen stepped forward and three of them knelt. They all brought their rifles to bear on the two snowmen.

Eric signaled, and Olaf and Marshmallow started running. Jorgensen gave the order to fire, and Elsa was intrigued by the way the men fired in turn, then reloaded and fired again. By the time Olaf and Marshmallow had rumbled to a halt, each of the men had fired three times.

"Cease firing, empty your weapons!" Jorgensen bellowed.

Eric waved at her, and they both walked up to Olaf and Marshmallow. A total of 18 shots had been fired, and Elsa saw that there were 9 bullet holes in Marshmallow, and 6 in Olaf. 6 of the 9 were in the red on Marshmallow, but only 2 of the 6 on Olaf. Neither snowlem was the worse for wear, and Olaf giggled as he poked at the holes in his torso. He was a happy snowman.

"You see, Your Majesty? The larger target was hit by all 9 shots aimed at him, even though they weren't all in the red. And 3 of the shots aimed at Olaf missed completely, and only two were in the red. And these men are the best marksmen in all of your armed forces." Elsa nodded thoughtfully at this explanation, then gestured magically at Olaf and Marshmallow to repair the holes in their snow.

"How were the men able to fire so quickly, Captain? I thought that reloading a musket took more time than that and involved pushing the bullet into the barrel with a ramrod?"

Eric replied, "Those aren't muzzle-loaders, Your Majesty. They're breech loaders and a skilled man can fire six shots per minute with one. It's a modification of a design first used in the North American uprising against Britain 65 years ago, invented by a man named Ferguson. It never was widely used by the British because it was much more expensive than their standard muzzle loaders. Your father was intrigued when he read about it, and commissioned one of our most skilled gunsmiths to modify the design for use by the Queen's Own about the time you were born. The Marines all use muzzle loaders, because these rifles are still too expensive for us to use them in large numbers."

Elsa nodded. She understood the logic; the Queen's Own was a small elite force with a critical mission. These rifles would give them an edge against any opposing force, an edge worth paying for if it let them protect their monarch more effectively.

"Ready for some more?" Eric asked her. She nodded again.

"We'll try the same exercise, except with you doing the 'shooting'. Olaf, Marshmallow, please let the sergeant paint you again, and … "

Several hours later, Elsa had developed enough skill to almost match the performance of her guardsmen. Olaf and Marshmallow had gotten into the spirit of things, adding jumping and spinning to their running and zig-zagging. The guardsmen had enjoyed the challenge of shooting at moving targets, also. Their training couldn't have included this level of 'realism' before.

Eric called a halt to the exercise around noon, by which time everyone was ready for a meal and some rest. Elsa was tired; it was a good tired, but using her magic definitely took a physical toll on her. She thanked Olaf and Marshmallow as the guardsmen formed ranks and marched off to return to camp. Eric waited for her and reviewed her progress as they followed the men.

"You showed real improvement, Your Majesty. I think you have a good understanding now of your ability to hit a moving target."

"I agree, Captain. This is exactly what I was hoping to accomplish. I will acknowledge a bit of fatigue, however. I think we will need to do something less … strenuous … after lunch." She grinned crookedly as she admitted this.

"We can work on some defensive moves. For one thing, I want to see how well your ice stops bullets. But we need to be very careful not to put you at risk. I need to think about that before we try anything."

They continued reviewing the morning's progress as they returned to the camp for lunch.

* * *

After lunch, the group returned to the Ice Palace. Captain Gunnarsson had decided how Elsa would practice defensive magic, and realized that most of the guardsmen would not be needed for this portion of the training. He asked her if it would be possible for those who would otherwise be idle to tour the Ice Palace? She readily agreed with this, and asked Olaf if he would like to be the tour guide.

He enthusiastically giggled, "Okay!" and led the first group up the staircase into the front doors. The men had stacked their arms before following Olaf. Sergeant Jorgensen didn't think there would be anyone in there to shoot.

Marshmallow, Elsa and the Captain stood near a large snowdrift as Eric explained what he would like to do.

"Your Majesty, you said that when the Duke's men first fired at you, your magic threw up an ice barrier to block the arrow without your even realizing it?"

"Yes, Captain. I was quite startled to see it, as you can imagine." The memory still troubled Elsa in her dreams occasionally; that arrow had come within inches of killing her.

"Then, what I would like to do is have you stand next to Marshmallow over there, not too close, about five feet away, and when the men fire at him, throw up a barrier to protect him." Eric looked up at the snowlem to be sure he understood, and got a nod in return. Marshmallow and Elsa positioned themselves and waited.

Eric walked over to the three men he had in the firing line, and asked, "Ready?"

"Yes, sir."

"Fire!"

Elsa threw her arms forward to raise an ice barrier in front of Marshmallow. There was a spray of ice chips as the bullets hit the barrier, but they did not penetrate completely. She was intrigued to see that they had embedded themselves about six inches deep, about three quarters through the ice.

Instructing the men to stand at ease, Eric walked over to inspect the result with her.

"Interesting. At this distance, those rifles will penetrate about as deep as that into a block of wood. I would have thought they would shatter the ice."

"Would you like to experiment with a block of ice, Captain?" Elsa asked him.

"Perhaps later, Your Majesty. That sort of thing we can do back at the castle. Here, I'm more interested to see that you were able to throw that barrier up in time to protect Marshmallow." He thought for a moment. "Do you think you could do it without seeing my signal or hearing the command?"

"I don't know. I managed to protect myself against the arrow, but I don't know if it works that way if I am not directly threatened or don't see it coming."

"Well, we're certainly not going to try that, but let's see what happens if we target Marshmallow again. With your permission, may I blindfold you and position you a bit further away?" Elsa agreed and they set themselves up again.

This time, Eric explained to the guardsmen that he would give them a silent hand signal. This time, Elsa did not throw up a barrier and Marshmallow was hit. Eric walked over to Elsa, shaking his head. "Okay, that didn't work."

She had pulled off the blindfold and looked at Marshmallow thoughtfully. "I'm not sure what conclusion we can draw from that, Captain. First, I was not personally in danger. Second, I know that Marshmallow can't be hurt."

"You're right, but I can't think of any safe way to test ..."

Just at that moment, she threw up an ice barrier to deflect a snowball thrown by Olaf. "No fair!" the snowlem complained. "I was trying to sneak up on you!"

He had in fact snuck up behind them and thrown a snowball at Elsa's back. She chuckled at his dismay and conjured one up to throw back at him, but he lifted his head up on his two twiggy hands and she missed as her snowball flew through the gap.

Eric watched this byplay with an idea forming in his head. "Uh, Your Majesty? How do you feel about having … a snowball fight?"

* * *

An hour later everyone, including Elsa, was sitting or laying on the ground, wheezing and laughing. Everyone, including Elsa, had gotten hit by snowballs and was dripping wet from the melted snow. Befitting her queenly dignity, Elsa was sitting on the steps leading up to the snow palace instead of the ground. She was laughing and trying to catch her breath, her arms wrapped around her middle. Olaf was still chasing Marshmallow and pelting him with snowballs.

Eric was standing next to her, gasping for breath and bent over with his hands on his knees. "Well … Your … Majesty … we've established … that you … can … defend yourself … against at least … five attackers … but that … your defenses … can be … overwhelmed … if you are … distracted … or attacking … multiple targets … yourself." He straightened up and took several deep breaths.

Elsa managed to compose herself and sit up straight and breathe normally. Attempting a dignified mien, she answered, "Yes, Captain, that seems to be the case."

She looked at him; his hat was gone, his hair was disheveled, and he was soaking wet from the snow melting on his neck and shoulders. She had gotten him point blank with one of her giant snowballs when Olaf had ducked behind Eric and she couldn't change her aim in time. He most closely resembled a drowned cat. She tried to suppress her giggles and failed miserably.

"Uh, yes, this has been a most … instructive exercise," she finally managed to stammer out. She took another deep breath and got herself under control. "Captain, if you have the men gather around, I can dry everyone off quickly. No need for anyone to catch a … cold … today."

He nodded and waved at Jorgensen to gather the men and line them up. Elsa made a few gestures and her magic had everyone dry in moments. She waved a hand over herself and dried off as well.

Eric helped her stand and the group marched back to the camp.

"Captain, even though that was actually fun, I think we learned some good lessons today," Elsa said as they followed the men down the mountain.

"I agree, Your Majesty. Protecting you is a serious business, but knowing how well you can defend yourself is critical information for all of us." Eric would be reviewing the day's exercises with his men and making adjustments to their standard protection protocols for weeks.

* * *

That evening, the guardsmen and Elsa were sitting around the campfires again after supper. She felt more comfortable this time after the experiments of the day.

"So, Your Majesty, shall we discuss what we have learned so far?" asked Captain Gunnarsson. He and Sergeant Jorgensen were sitting with Elsa in front of her tent.

"Well, I've gotten more comfortable with 'shooting' my magic at targets, for one thing," Elsa replied. She sipped at her coffee. "I'm not sure we've established anything definite about my defensive ability, however."

"You're right. When you knew the attack was coming at Marshmallow, you were able to stop it. When you didn't, you couldn't. Then, during the snowball fight, you were able to fend off the snowballs, even ones you couldn't see coming, up to a point. How does that match up with your stopping the arrow from the Duke's men?"

She gathered her memories of the fight in her Ice Palace before answering him. "I … knew they were going to shoot me. So I raised my hands to defend myself. But I didn't know that my magic would raise that ice barrier. If I had to be honest, I would have to say that I fully expected to be killed by that arrow. Raising my hands was just instinct. I was so … shocked when I opened my eyes that I … I didn't know what to do. They kept coming and I started to actively defend myself. I'm not going to pretend that I really knew what I was doing or how I was doing it. Then." She shrugged. "I'm afraid we still don't know if I would be able to stop a bullet I didn't know was aimed at me."

Grimly, Eric added, "And we have no way to test it, either."

Elsa just shrugged again, saying, "Captain, that simply makes me the same as anyone else; vulnerable to an assassin with a gun and the will to use it. At least we know that in some situations I can defend myself more effectively than a person without my powers could."

"I agree. Although I do wish that you would please try not to run **towards** danger in the future, Your Majesty. It would make our jobs ever so much less … stressful." He had a wry smile on his face, shaking his head.

Elsa was silent for a beat, then, "But, Captain, think back to the times when I've added to your stress. Isn't it true that if I had **not** acted, many more people would have been hurt or killed?"

"But ..."

"No 'buts', Captain. You know I'm right. And in any situation where my sister is involved, nothing would stop me from doing whatever was necessary to save her. Nothing."

Eric grumbled something Elsa couldn't quite make out. She looked at him quizzically, one eyebrow raised.

He sighed. "I said, I understand. I just wish you weren't so … so … damned fearless, is all!"

Elsa simply sipped at her coffee again, choosing not to contradict him. Fearless? Hardly. Every time she had used her magic to fend off her enemies, her fear had almost paralyzed her. Only the long years of practice at suppressing her emotions let her ignore it and do what she had to do. Afterwards, behind closed doors, the reaction would often lay her out in a panic attack as she experienced flashbacks. Anna had helped when those happened, soothing her and making her feel safe again. She wondered how brave people managed it and if it was something she could learn.

For a time, the only sounds were the crackling of the fires and quiet music from some of the men.

Finally, Elsa asked, "What shall we be doing tomorrow, Captain?"

He hesitated for so long that Elsa grew concerned. "Captain?" more sharply this time.

"You're probably not going to like this idea, but I think it is necessary," he began. "I think we need to practice close-in defense. I would like you to use your magic to fight off attackers who might try to simply grab you or knock you out."

"You mean, have some of the men 'attack' me without weapons, and have me use my magic on them to push them away or freeze them in a block of ice?" She was startled at the suggestion. "You're right, I **don't** like that idea! I might hurt them, no matter how hard I try not to!"

"Your Majesty, every one of us is oath-sworn to sacrifice our lives to save yours at need. And training accidents happen, if the training is at all realistic. This is a risk we are willing to take. **My** only concern is to insure that **you** aren't hurt during the exercise." Eric could see she wasn't at all convinced. He let her think about it for a while.

After about ten minutes, Elsa finally said, "I … I need to sleep on this, Captain. Please." She wasn't sure she would actually be able to sleep, but she just couldn't agree to his plan yet.

"Of course, Your Majesty." He couldn't force her to do it if she didn't want to, after all.

"Good night, then." She rose, handed her mug to the sergeant, and went into her tent.

"Set the watch, sergeant. See you in the morning." Eric went into his own tent.

* * *

Elsa sat on her camp cot, trembling. She wanted to pace, but couldn't in the confines of the tent and even if she could it would be obvious that something was troubling her. She trusted these men with her life, but not with her feelings. Those were still something she could share only with Anna.

"_I'm such a fool. I should have realized something like this would come up,"_ she scoffed at herself. _"Well, Elsa, you wanted training in your magic, didn't you? What did Mama always say, 'be careful what you wish for'?" _

She realized she was wringing her hands, an old habit that surfaced when she was anxious. Looking for something to occupy them, she picked up her hairbrush, loosened her braid and began brushing out her hair to prepare for sleep. Assuming she could manage to sleep.

A forlorn hope, she understood later as she tossed and turned on the cot. _"You need to do this, Elsa. You need to overcome this fear. You can't show weakness in front of these men. They need to respect their Queen, the woman they have sworn an oath to protect."_

Her thoughts chased themselves around and around in her head until she finally fell into a troubled doze. The first rays of the dawning sun were enough to wake her, and she stumbled off the cot to prepare for the day. _"Get it together, Elsa; don't feel, don't FEEL!" _This entreaty to herself hadn't worked very well before she thawed Arendelle but maybe it would help now. She had to conceal it today. Just like she had so many times before.


	3. How Big Your Brave Is

_Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live_  
_ Maybe one of these days you can let the light in_  
_ Show me how big your brave is_

_ Say what you wanna say_  
_ And let the words fall out_  
_ Honestly I wanna see you be brave_

_..._

_And since your history of silence_  
_ Won't do you any good,_  
_ Did you think it would?_  
_ Let your words be anything but empty_  
_ Why don't you tell them the truth?_

**_-Sara Bareilles, 'Brave'_**

* * *

Eric was an early riser, but he found Elsa already eating breakfast when he emerged from his tent.

"Your Majesty!" He saluted her, wondering what her decision would be. She seemed prim and a little distant this morning.

"Good morning, Captain." She nodded coolly at him.

After getting his own breakfast from the cooks, he joined her and began eating. She had finished and was sipping her coffee; her eyes were unfocused and staring at the mountain. He could tell she was deep in thought and he resolved to wait until she spoke; patience was his only choice since he couldn't tell if she had made a decision, and if so, what that decision would be.

Finally, she sighed and said to him, "I will agree to your request, Captain. But only on one condition; I must be certain that the men are volunteering to put themselves in this danger."

Her tone of voice and the stern expression on her face told him she would accept no compromise on this point. "Yes, Your Majesty. We can do that."

* * *

They were back in front of the Ice Palace, the men in ranks at attention, Elsa and Captain Gunnarsson facing them. Eric had explained to the men what they intended to do that day, and that the Queen wished to address them before they started.

"Gentlemen, I need you to understand that there can be danger in my magic. I don't want to hurt any of you, I don't intend to hurt any of you, and I will be trying very hard not to hurt any of you; but as the Captain has explained to me, training accidents can happen. Do any of you have any questions for me?" Elsa asked the group.

No one wanted to be the first, but finally one of the men raised his hand. "Yes, Guardsman?"

"Your Majesty, what's the worst that could happen?" he asked in a clear tenor voice.

Elsa said grimly, "I could kill you, either by using an ice spike by mistake, or by freezing your heart. My sister tells me that freezing in that way is a painful death." _"And still fuel for my nightmares,"_ Elsa didn't share that thought.

The guardsman nodded soberly at her response and returned to attention.

"Any other questions?" Eric asked. He waited a beat and then said, "Her Majesty has asked for volunteers for a hazardous duty. All those willing to volunteer, take one step forward."

As one man, they stepped forward. Eric had known they would. He heard a slight gasp from Elsa, though it was too quiet for anyone else to hear. She clearly hadn't expected that reaction from the men.

"Very well. Stack your arms and prepare for hand-to-hand combat," he ordered. He was proud of his men and their courage. He knew they feared death as much as he did, but they did their duty in spite of that fear.

About an hour later Eric called a halt to the exercise. Elsa had fought off as many as five men at once, even when caught from behind. She would simply create an ice barrier and fling them backwards. Single attackers she saw coming couldn't get within ten feet of her before finding themselves encased in ice up to their shoulders, pinning their arms and freezing their boots to the ground. She was quick to melt the ice as soon as it was clear that the attacker was immobilized. A real assassin wouldn't be so lucky. A real assassin would probably find himself trying to breathe ice.

The last attempt Eric had set up had seen all eighteen of them charge her in an attempt to simply overwhelm her with numbers. She had created a wall of ice completely surrounding herself, then expanded it outward, pushing them all away. Once there was enough clear space around her, she created another wall behind them, trapping them in a prison made of ice, then melted a pathway for herself to walk out of the center. When she emerged she was calm, her gait stately, her face a blank mask. Eric was impressed.

She turned, gestured, and dissolved the icy walls surrounding the guardsmen. Turning back to Eric, she asked, "Well, Captain?"

"Your Majesty, I think it is safe to say that no assassin is going to get close enough to do you any harm that way. I thank you for indulging me in this. I know you were concerned for the men," he replied. "I think we have accomplished all we wanted to do here and can return to Arendelle now. We should be back at the castle in time for dinner."

"I agree. I assume it will take some time to strike the camp and load the wagons?" she asked politely.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Two hours, perhaps," he said.

"I will join you at the camp before then. I would like to spend some time with Marshmallow and Olaf up here before we leave."

"Of course, Your Majesty. I'll leave two men here to escort you back when you're ready." He gestured, and the sergeant pointed to two of the men, who picked up their rifles and positioned themselves to guard the foot of the stairs going up to the ice palace. Elsa had already gone up and inside.

Once inside, she went to the second floor, not out on the balcony, but hidden safely inside. She didn't want anyone to see her. She conjured up a chair and fell into it heavily, put her face in her hands and began to weep. That last melee had shaken her to her core. She had been so frightened that she would make a mistake with so many men charging her it was all she could do to concentrate and hide the fear. It was one thing to use her magic against someone in the heat of battle, with adrenaline flooding her body and fear for her own safety driving the power; it was another to use it in this cold and calculating way, with the fear of hurting someone else choking her. She was oh so familiar with the nuances of the taste of fear; Elsa was a connoisseur of fear.

The Captain had no idea what he was asking Elsa to do when he had set up the morning's activity. **ELSA** hadn't seen this coming when she first suggested the training, how could he? For thirteen years, she had lived in guilt and fear. Guilt for hurting Anna, and fear of doing it again. Even when attacked by the Duke's men in this very room, she had only managed not to kill them by the narrowest of margins and the calculated words of an enemy calling her back from the brink. Even when Weselton had attacked last fall, her magic had only defended, not killed. Pierre was dead at her hand, and that still haunted her dreams. All morning, she had been terrified she would slip up somehow and injure or kill one of her own guards, volunteers or not.

Now that she had managed to get through the morning without a mistake the reaction set in. She had to pull herself together before she could go down and face them again.

Marshmallow and Olaf came in from wherever they had been in the palace.

"Lady Elsa?" rumbled Marshmallow.

Olaf ran up to her and said, "Elsa? Are you okay? Do you need a warm hug?"

She wiped her cheeks and sniffled. "Yes, Olaf, I do. Please."

The hug made her feel a little better. Enough so that she could get back to Arendelle and Anna. She knew they would need to talk tonight. Anna would understand. She wiped her eyes and cheeks again, cooling her hands to help erase any puffiness caused by her tears. She had to put her queenly mask back on.

She stood and looked up at Marshmallow. "Thank you for helping us, Marshmallow. It was necessary for us to learn how to protect me."

He rumbled, "Whatever is needful for you, Lady Elsa, I will gladly do. It was … fun." His deep bass laugh echoed off the icy walls.

"Come on, little guy. We're going home." Elsa took Olaf by the hand, and the three of them went down the stairs.

* * *

Elsa was quiet on the trip back to Arendelle, although she had composed herself well enough to smile and say a few words to the guardsman driving the wagon as they began their journey. She was glad that it was practically impossible to have a conversation with someone riding a horse next to the wagon, so she didn't have to keep up a discussion with Captain Gunnarsson. She just wanted to get home. She was tired, cranky and she itched in places queens couldn't scratch. She wondered how Anna could go camping with Kristoff for **fun**. Elsa preferred civilization and indoor plumbing. She chuckled a little at her own decadent attitudes.

When they arrived at the castle, she thanked the Captain and the other guardsmen and went in to clean up and change for dinner. A washbasin in a tent was just barely adequate for her sense of cleanliness, and she was looking forward to a hot bath after dinner and then a good night's sleep in a real bed. She would have Kai cancel anything she had scheduled for tomorrow. She wanted to sleep in and wallow in slothful laziness for a day after the exertions she had just gone through.

Anna ran into her room as she was finishing changing for dinner. Wrapping Elsa in a big hug that practically lifted her off her feet she squealed, "Elsa! You're BACK!"

Elsa had to laugh. She had known that Anna was the cure for the mood she was in.

She hugged Anna in return and said, "Yeah, and I'm starving. We skipped lunch to get back in time for dinner. I hope the cook made something substantial tonight." She hooked Anna's arm in her own, and they went down to the dining room.

Elsa chatted amiably with her sister over dinner, but Anna had a finely tuned 'Elsa mood detector,' and she could tell that something was bothering her even if no one else could see it. Over dessert and coffee, Anna said, "Well?"

Elsa just sighed. Anna was almost telepathic when it came to Elsa's emotions. "We need to talk, but can it wait? I think it's going to be a night for hugs and sisterly angst, if you know what I mean." She threw in an eye roll for emphasis.

Anna just smiled and nodded. She was up for that. "How about a bubble bath first?" she asked slyly.

"Oooohh … I have been thinking about that all the way down the mountain. You are a devil, and I will gladly sell you my soul for a hot bubble bath after the last two days of washing up in a bowl of tepid water," Elsa sighed wistfully. "Add some chocolate, and I'll throw in my first-born snowman."

Anna smirked, "Not in the tub with us, I hope. I like my hot baths, hot – and less crowded, thank you very much."

Giggling, the two sisters went off to the baths for a long hot soak in the bubbles.

* * *

Elsa had Just finished drying and brushing her hair in preparation for sleep when Anna came into her room. Jumping onto the bed and bouncing a little, she asked Elsa, "So? Tell me about the expedition to the North Mountain?"

With a sigh, Elsa crawled under the covers and held them up for Anna to join her. She snuggled into her sister's arms and settled her cheek on Anna's shoulder.

"It was exhilarating, it was fun, I learned a lot, and it scared the … daylights out of me. I didn't realize what I was letting myself in for when I suggested the idea." Elsa shivered a little and Anna hugged her closer.

"What scared you, honey? I thought the idea was you were going to learn how to use your magic better. A very good idea, I might add. Every skill is better with practice."

"Yes, well, I was doing fine until the Captain suggested that I needed to fight off the 'attackers' by freezing them." Elsa mumbled.

"Oh – yeah." Anna said, smoothing Elsa's bangs back from her face. "I can see where would be hard on you, but you've got pretty good control of your magic. You haven't had a single time where it did something you didn't want it to since you thawed Arendelle out last summer," Anna said. "Why did you think you'd lose control this time?"

"This is the first time I've tried to use it on people since then; people that weren't enemies, I mean. During the Weaseltown attack I wasn't really fighting off people, just freezing the ships and harbor. The snowmen did most of the damage, and they didn't kill anyone. I killed Pierre, but that was in self-defense, and it still really upset me," Elsa explained. "This time, we were deliberately trying to see if I could be overwhelmed, and I was worried, so worried, that I'd make a mistake and hurt or kill one of the guardsmen."

"Did you?"

"No."

"Well, then..."

"It still scared me." She sniffled a little, trying not to cry. "I just wish I were brave. The Captain said he wished I wasn't so fearless, but I'm not fearless – I've been afraid of my magic my whole life. And I was so afraid every time I used it – up there – like that – I was screaming inside. I just wanted to quit … for the whole thing to stop." Elsa looked forlornly at her sister, embarrassed. "But I couldn't tell him that; he'd lose respect for me if he knew how frightened I was."

Anna simply caressed her sister's hair and kissed her tenderly on the cheek while she thought about the best way to explain to Elsa how wrong she was.

"Honey, I think you have it backwards," she finally said. Elsa was calming down as Anna cuddled her.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really think that being brave means you're not afraid?" Anna asked.

"Well, doesn't it?" Elsa didn't understand what Anna was trying to say.

"Actually, no. Someone who isn't afraid when their life is in danger isn't brave, they're stupid. Courage, REAL courage, is when someone is afraid and does what they have to do anyway. That's what you've been doing your whole life, Elsa. You're the bravest person I know."

Elsa pulled away and raised herself up on one elbow to look at Anna. "Who told you that?" she demanded.

Anna just reached up and stroked her cheek tenderly. "Which part? As far as you being the bravest person I know, that's all me, watching my big sister put herself between danger and the people she loves time after time after time." Anna could tell Elsa was a little embarrassed at this, and still skeptical about the other part of her statement. She pulled her back down into her arms for more hugs.

"As for the rest of it, I learned that from Bishop Norgaard. Did you know he was in the Marines before he joined the clergy? Anyway, it was after that Weaseltown attack, and I was still a little shook up about the whole 'kidnap Anna' thing and we were talking about it, and I said almost the same thing you did; that I wished I wasn't afraid and wondered how brave people like the Marines did it."

Anna could tell Elsa was listening closely; she was hardly breathing. Continuing her story, she went on, "And he looked at me and smiled and asked me if I had been afraid when I … when I … ran up to you ... you know … with Hans. And I said of course I was afraid."

Elsa started trembling at this memory and couldn't hold back a sob. Anna tried to soothe her. "Shh, shh, it's okay Elsa, we lived through that, it's okay."

Elsa clutched her more tightly and nodded into her shoulder. "I know, Anna, I know. But that's still the worst nightmare that comes back to me … looking up at you and ..." she sniffled again.

Anna let her calm down a little before she continued the story. Anna felt Elsa position her head so she could hear Anna's heart beating. When they slept together that was what comforted Elsa the most; knowing that her sister was alive and warm. Anna's heartbeat was a lullaby that soothed Elsa to sleep when she was troubled.

"You better?" she asked. A muffled sound that could be 'yes' reassured her and she went on, "So, anyway, the bishop told me that really brave people were the ones who were able to do their duty even through their fear; that it was only human to be afraid, and that only fools weren't. He had learned that as a young man in Marine training, and his experiences in life since then showed him it was true."

Elsa sighed and said, "So, what you're saying is that both of us are brave; both of us did what we had to, even though we were afraid."

"Yep. I still don't feel like a hero, and I know you don't, but I guess that's just the way it works. You might be afraid of being killed, but you're more afraid of letting someone you love be hurt, so you do what you have to do."

Elsa had been caressing Anna gently as they talked, and she felt the scar where Pierre had stabbed her. "I was so afraid that you were dying in that warehouse, I would have walked … oh … barefoot on broken glass through that fire to save you."

Anna giggled. "I think that walking through fire period is pretty impressive, ice powers or not. What you and Kristoff did was amazing enough without adding a little ..." Anna snorted and rolled her eyes, "broken glass? You … you … drama queen." Even Elsa had to smile at that. Anna gazed down at her sister and continued, "Did I tell you I thought you were an angel coming to get me when I saw that white cloud through the smoke? Well two angels, one of them in this really handsome suit, too."

"Poor Kristoff; his nice suit, ruined by the fire. You'll have to help him get another one." Elsa chuckled in return.

Anna relaxed; she could tell that Elsa's mood had lightened and she was feeling better and would be able to sleep now. She buried her face in Elsa's hair and took a deep breath. "Mmmm you smell a lot better than you did before dinner. I thought I was going to have to start calling you the pungent Snow Queen!"

Elsa squeaked indignantly and slapped Anna playfully on the arm in response.

"G'night, Elsa. I love you."

"Me, too, Anna. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well, you'd have to learn to sing to the ducklings yourself, that's for sure."

Giggling together they fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Late the next day, Captain Gunnarsson was reviewing the training exercise with Admiral Naismith in his small office in the castle. Naismith generally spent most of his time at the Admiralty, but Elsa kept a small office for him so that if their schedules required his presence, he didn't waste all day running back and forth. Eric, of course, and the rest of the Queen's Own Guard had their quarters in the castle.

"I have to say, Admiral, I was skeptical when the Queen first suggested this, but it worked out much better than I could have imagined. The training really added something to my plans on how to protect her, and the men picked up some new techniques as well."

Naismith replied, "I'm glad it worked out. Maybe now she will be more willing to let you and your men do their jobs keeping her out of danger."

Eric was rueful as he responded, "Probably not … she's fearless, that one. Utterly devoid of any care for her own safety. We'll just have to keep her away from those kind of situations as best we can, and cope with it when she throws herself into battle again."

Naismith didn't say anything, but he wondered if Gunnarsson really believed what he had just said. The Admiral had known Elsa longer and was privy to secrets that were not his to share, even with Eric. _"She's not fearless, boy, just very good at hiding her feelings. Thirteen years of practice will hone any skill to a fine edge."_

But he couldn't say that out loud, even to a man who was willing to die so Elsa would live.

They had continued to discuss the exercise for a few minutes when there was a knock on the Admiral's door. He wondered who it was … he wasn't expecting anyone, and the Queen would normally just walk in after knocking, as was her privilege. "Enter," the Admiral called out.

"Princess Anna!" The two men rose quickly as she walked into the room. Her visit to the Admiral's office was unusual. Anna rarely sought out either man, even though she was friendly and cordial when she saw them in the normal course of the day.

She nodded to acknowledge them and sat in the chair Eric had used. He held it for her and then stood next to the Admiral's desk for lack of another chair.

"Your Highness, what can I do for you today?" asked Naismith.

Anna hesitated and gathered her thoughts before she answered him. She wanted to make a point, but had to be circumspect as there were things she couldn't share about her sister with anyone, even these two men. Anna didn't do subtle very well and it was hard for her to figure out the right words to use.

"Ah, well, Admiral, Captain, there was something I thought you should know because I think you might have the wrong impression about the Queen."

"And what might that be, Your Highness?" Eric said.

"The Queen and I were discussing her … trip … Captain. It was interesting. But she mentioned something that made me think there was a … misconception about her that you may have." The two men could tell that Anna was clearly uncomfortable with this conversation, but she plowed on.

"I, uh, just wanted to tell you that my sister is one of the bravest people I've ever met. Thank you for your time, Admiral, Captain." She rose with as much dignity as she could muster and left hastily.

Eric just looked at the door as he sat down again. "What was THAT all about?"

Naismith was thinking, _"Oh, ho, so the Queen has one person she trusts with her soul. I should have known." _He could tell Eric was still puzzled, so he thought about how best to clear up the confusion without appearing condescending or giving away any secrets.

"Eric, do you remember the briefing I gave your class of recruits 20 years ago?" he began. Getting a nod from the younger man, he continued, "What did I tell you hot-blooded young men champing at the bit so eager to die for king and country about courage?"

Gunnarsson chuckled, "You told us that anyone who didn't fear death was a stupid fool, and that real courage was doing our duty in spite of our fear."

He still hadn't put the pieces together. Naismith asked quietly, "And do you consider Queen Elsa either stupid or foolish?"

"Of course not, Admiral, she's one of … the … smartest … " It finally dawned on him. "Oh my god!"

"Indeed." Naismith let him reflect on that thought for a few moments. He knew the look of a man whose world had just turned upside down; he saw the realization of how wrong he had been about Elsa play across Eric's face.

"Don't feel too bad, Eric. Even as the Captain of her bodyguard, you haven't seen much of her, and you certainly weren't privy to … well, a lot of things that went on before her coronation. Just know that she will do her duty no matter what it costs her. As you will do yours."

* * *

Elsa and Anna were in the garden laughing over some story about how they had tormented their nannies when they were little. It was almost time for dinner. The day had been pleasantly warm, warm for April in Arendelle at any rate; they had been enjoying a day of leisure after sleeping late. Elsa felt good; she would be glad to get back to work tomorrow, but for today enjoying Anna's company was delightfully relaxing.

"So then when I froze her tea, you laughed so hard you snorted milk out your nose!" Elsa was filling Anna in on one of the childhood incidents that had been erased from her memory. Pabbie was right; sharing was the best way to bring them back. If Anna had been drinking milk right now she would have snorted it out her nose again. Her sides ached from her laughter as she visualized the scene Elsa was describing.

Anna noticed Captain Gunnarsson come into the garden and look around. He spotted them and approached them, saluting when he came up to the bench where they were sitting. "Your Majesty, Your Highness."

"Good afternoon, Captain. What can I do for you today?" Elsa asked with a smile.

"I just wanted to check in with you on your schedule for tomorrow. Will you be going into town or anywhere else outside of the castle?" he asked.

"Hmmm, no, we have the Royal Council meeting in the morning, and then I believe I have individual meetings with the Admiral and some of the other members in the afternoon. Why?" she responded.

"There's a new class of recruits starting tomorrow, and the Admiral asked me to fill in for him because of the Council meeting. So I wanted to be sure that I wouldn't be needed to command your detail," he explained.

"Oh? And what will you be doing with the new recruits?" Anna asked.

He chuckled wryly. "Every new class comes in breathing fire and pawing the ground like young bucks eager to show their mettle, all full of s..pit and vinegar; it's up to us old salts to explain that the world doesn't work the way they think it does."

"What way is that, Captain?" Elsa was intrigued.

"Well, I think this just may be a conceit of young men, you know how young men can be, but they come in thinking that bravery means they must have no fear of death; we need to teach them that courage can't exist **without** fear; being brave really means doing their duty in spite of their very real, very genuine fear. And that every one of us feels that shiver inside when we go into danger; it's not something to be ashamed of, just something to be harnessed to serve us. That prickly intensity can actually help keep us focused and alive in battle."

He smiled at them. "I had to learn that; I still remember the speech the Admiral gave us when I was a recruit. I had to get that bravado knocked out of me just like the rest of the 'young gentlemen'. Now I'm the 'old man' teaching the new kids. I feel decrepit." He shook his head at this last.

Elsa just nodded solemnly and totally deadpan said, "I think 'decrepit' is far too strong a word, Captain. I'm sure the young men will only consider you … elderly." Anna snickered. Did Elsa just make a joke?

Eric grinned and saluted her. "I'm sure you're right, Your Majesty. I'll try to remember to take my cane."

He left.

The two sisters sat in the afternoon sunshine in companionable silence until it was time for dinner. After the Captain had left Elsa had taken Anna's hand in her own, caressing it absently, and Anna could see out of the corner of her eye that her sister had a tranquil smile on her face.

"_Thank you, Captain."_ Anna knew what he had done and why. She could tell that Elsa knew also. But they would never say anything, and he would never admit it.

~ The End ~

* * *

As always, thanks to stillslightynerdy for beating me over the head with 'Strunk and White' until I get it right.

This story was actually prompted by the following quote:

**Courage is the complement of fear. A man who is fearless cannot be courageous. (He is also a fool.)**  
**Robert Heinlein (1907 - 1988)**

It was going to be a chapter in 'Walk In The Park' but got out of hand pretty quickly. I hope you enjoyed it.


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